The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement Legal and Policy Frameworks Routledge Research in International Law Series

This book provides a comprehensive assessment of African economic integration through the lens of International Economic Law. The analysis is contextualised within the prevailing regional economic integrations, the WTO and the peculiarity of the AfCFTA.

Through legal analysis, bolstered by economic and political dimensions, the book illustrates the complex interplay of diverse factors that shape the AfCFTA. Each chapter presents a separate element of economic integration within the principles of international economic law, with an interdisciplinary approach encompassing legal, economic and political perspectives. Covering topics such as economic integration and multilateralism, market access, exceptions, trade facilitation, rules of origin and non-tariff barriers, the book also discusses trade remedies, dispute settlement, investment, intellectual property and completion policy. Additionally, human rights, corporate social responsibility and sustainable development principles are discussed, alongside small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), digital trade and gender in economic integration.

The book will be of interest to students, instructors, practitioners and nonpractitioners in this area of international economic law.

Foreword

Preface

List of Abbreviations

Table of Cases

1 Regional Trade Agreement, the AfCFTA and Multilateralism

2 Low Development Dynamics

3 Non-Discrimination and Market Access

4 General Exceptions

5 Specific Exceptions

6 Tariffs and Quantitative Restrictions

7 Customs, Trade Facilitation and NTBs

8 TBT and SPS Regimes

9 Rules of Origin

10 Trade Remedies

11 Trade in Services

12 Dispute Settlement Frameworks

13 Investment

14 Intellectual Property

15 Competition Policy

16 Reflections

Index

Collins C. Ajibo (PhD and LLM Manchester) is Associate Professor at University of Nigeria and a visiting scholar to Institute of African Legal Studies, University of Bayreuth, Germany.